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ParkerBarker
05-05-2009, 03:06 PM
Hello,newbie to the boards,here. I can't believe I am just now finding this board.Glad for it. I have already gained some new knowledge.I need all I can get for our temporary buddy. We found ParkerBarker on the ground in a park.He was being poked at by several kids with sticks,which is how our attention was drawn to the lil guy.He was very tiny and scrawny and bloody,we think,from a fall from the nest. My daughter went to him after the kids had left and the poor thing had no energy to run.He just laid there. We sat with him for some time before my daughter tried to pet or hold it. After a while of it letting us pet it,She picked it up and it curled up in a ball in her hand and fell asleep. We thought it had died because it would not wake up for nothing. I guess it was just exausted. Short while later,the squirrell woke up and scurried up her hoodie and down her back and then ran around her side and found its way into her hoodie pocket AND WOULD NOT GET OUT,LOL.
It kept hanging in her pocket and when she did get it out,it just ran back in.We wound up bringing it home.It slept in a ball in her pocket all the way home.Once home we started the rehabber searching but could get no call backs so we proceeded to hand pick the fleas and wash the blood from its mouth and both nostrils and started the research on care. First thing we did was weigh it in and log it. Poor thing was 2 oz. Fast forward,some weeks and he is now weaned and on solids and being at best guess,a normal squirrel.
Hes taken over my daughters room completely now and has made her closet his tree house. Hes outgrown the cage and so anybody entering her room is subject to being turned into a tree and being climbed all over. We have kept him far away from our pets and tried our best to not domesticate him so he can be released in time. Parker is what we named him since he was found in the park and we added the "Barker" here recently because he and my husband sit in the floor and bark at eachother. I am concerned a bit though,because he seems to be very attached to my daughter and is at the point where when she tells him "bye Parker" before leaving the room,he leaps to her.Does this sound like a problem as far as releasing him,is concerned? She has been working on it by putting him far enough away and stopping him when he looks like he will jump to her,but its not stopping the problem.He only learned to get faster at it. Now we try not to speak when we leave the room and it seems to help a little but hes still on the alert .
Ok,I talked enough. Hello and goodbye.

Jackie in Tampa
05-05-2009, 03:17 PM
:Welcome :wave123
hello and welcome!
Thanks for sharing the story, sounds as though Parker is a spoiled little sq.
I have attached a link to a forum on the ABCs of baby squirrels. You will find articles to help with aging, sexing and healthy diets.
There is loads of great info there.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56
here you will find three purple sub titles...they are awesome tips:thumbsup
Thanks for helping Parker and :poke we need pics!

jbillings
05-05-2009, 04:31 PM
:Welcome fellow newbie:D . You came to the right place for help. TSB is the best place to go for all of your questions and concerns. Everyone is sooooo helpful:thumbsup . If it wasn't for TSB I'm not sure if my little babies would have recoverd as quickly and completely as they did. My husband rescued Rocky and Bullwinkle from one of those old fashioned iron stoves with the long pipes that go to the outside. We had lit it not knowing that a mother squirrel had built a nest in it for her babies. One of them was not breathing when my husband pulled her out, so he gave her "mouth to snout":D She is very sweet on him now:grouphug . They ended up getting squirrel pox, and TSB was to the rescue. They walked me though everything to do and now my babies are happy and healthy and venturing out on their own. We started out by building them a cage outside so they could get used to their surroundings and eventually started leaving the cage door open 24/7 so they could come and go as they please. We have a nice wooded lot next to us which is the home to many other squirrels. They have made new friends and still come back home to get lovin from us:grouphug . They know who loves them:Love_Icon :Love_Icon . My point to all of this babbling is that I think it's great that your little guy/gal is so attached to your daughter. It's so heartwarming to be able to see them making a new life for themselves, but still wanting to be with us too. This is just my opinion... I, by no means, am an expert!!:D Best of luck with your new furry friend. Looking forward to seeing pictures. :wave123

Pointy Tale
05-05-2009, 04:51 PM
Hi and welcome...ParkerBarker!! So glad you joined TSB, you're gonna love it here, there are so many wonderful and helpful people. I am Not a rehabber, so I let the experts answer any questions you have. Any pictures you want to share about ParkerBarker? I see this is under the nutritition section, so we don't have to ask, have you checked it out, I'm guessing you already have. :) Is there anything I can do for you? All the best,